Monitoring of the blind spot is an important and difficult task for drivers of a motor vehicle in order to prevent accidents. The blind spot is the area to the side of and behind motor vehicles which the driver cannot be easily see by means of the sideview and rearview mirrors or without significant body movements.
This blind spot area varies in size depending on the number of windows and rearview mirrors and cannot be completely eliminated. One particular problem is the blind angle in the case of trucks, buses and motorcycles since these only have a restricted radius of view due to the size and design. The size of the blind angle is given as 38% in the case of the current status of the legal regulations.
The blind spot prevents or impairs the reactions of the driver to events. This becomes particularly apparent in the case of cycle paths on the right side of the road and turning trucks. In the case of an accident, drivers almost always report that they did not see the cyclist due to the blind angle. It is also impossible to react to errors made by others in the blind angle, as a result of which accidents also occur.
A variety of technical apparatuses have been previously known in order to facilitate or enable monitoring of the blind spot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,148 discloses a warning apparatus in which the proximity of a second vehicle is detected by means of a camera and corresponding intelligence and is reproduced via a visual or acoustic indication. This system, however, involves dedicated displays such that the driver must train his attention in a particular manner for this purpose. Moreover, the acoustic warning has the disadvantage that it is not equally suitable in all driving situations and in the case of all drivers and cannot indicate the direction in which the detected vehicle lies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,833 discloses a further warning apparatus in which the turn indicator control of the turn indicator system vibrates after detection of an obstacle or vehicle in the monitored area. This apparatus is, however, relatively complex and can only warn the driver when he leaves his or her hand on the turn indicator control for a sufficiently long time.
EP 1 450 330 A1 discloses a warning apparatus in which, after detection of an obstacle which must, however, be visible in one of the vehicle mirrors, a signal is generated which indicates the corresponding mirror. In this case, the display of the signal is preferably in the mirror itself. The blind spot can only be insufficiently monitored with this apparatus since the identified or detected obstacle must be visible in the mirror. Alternatively, the use of a dedicated display is provided which indicates the direction in which the obstacle lies by means of directional arrows.